


A thousand reasons

by seratonation



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Jock Bucky, Kissing, M/M, Natasha and Sam laugh at Bucky a lot, Pining, Punk Steve Rogers, Schmoop, Skinny Steve, Steve is having none of your games, Wooing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-10
Updated: 2015-01-10
Packaged: 2018-03-06 23:50:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3152918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seratonation/pseuds/seratonation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"So what do you say?" Bucky was saying, "you wanna go out for milkshakes on Saturday?"</i>
</p><p>
  <i>"Go fuck yourself," Steve spat, ducked out from under Bucky and walked away. </i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	A thousand reasons

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Shannen for the beta <33

Bucky Barnes was the perfect student. He was smart, handsome, and the baseball team’s star player. 

He could have any girl he wanted but here he was, standing over Steve, practically looming, one arm braced over Steve's head.

And Steve was this close to punching him. 

"... So what do you say?" Bucky was saying, "you wanna go out for milkshakes on Saturday?"

"Go fuck yourself," Steve spat, ducked out from under Bucky and walked away. 

***

Sam watched Steve storm away and saw Bucky walk back, eyes wide. 

"How did it go?"

"He said, and I quote, 'go fuck yourself'," Bucky said, looking like he was still in shock.

Natasha cracked a smile but Sam couldn't hold it in, he burst out laughing. 

"What did you say to him?" Natasha asked. 

"The usual, I even did the smile."

Sam had to lean on the lockers, he was laughing so hard. 

"I told you he won't fall for that," Sam said, wiping tears from his face, "he's not just another blond you can pick up."

Natasha was nodding along. "If you want this, you're going to have to be serious about it."

***

Natasha took pity on Bucky at baseball practice that afternoon. She sat down next to him on the benches and put an arm around his shoulders. 

“Stop looking so morose,” she said, “it’s not the end of the world.”

His frown deepened. “I’ve never been turned down like that before."

“Yeah,” she said, “because you’ve never gone after someone like Rogers before.”

“Don't say it like that,” he said, “I’m not going after him, that’s creepy.”

“Oh?” she said. “And what would you call it?”

“I’m wooing him.”

She threw her head back and laughed. “You’re so old fashioned,” she said, “who even says that?” 

“Look, why don’t you just come back to me when you’re done laughing.” He started to stand up but she pulled him down again.

“No, come on,” she said, winding her arm through his, “if that’s what you want then that’s what you should do.”

“What?” 

“ _Woo_ him,” she said fluttering her eyelashes at him, “Rogers might not be one of your usual conquests but if you think he’s worth it, you should put some effort into it.”

“I know you don’t see it,” he said, “but he’s amazing. He's so smart, so beautiful, so talented, have you seen him draw? And-”

“Okay, okay stop,” she said, “I don't need you to start waxing poetic here. You like him, I get it.”

They watched Sam approach them and collapse on Natasha’s other side. “You’re up, Jim,” he said to Bucky, who rolled his eyes and stood up. Natasha gave him a slap on the ass on his way out. 

“I’m getting new friends,” he told them and left before they could reply. 

***

Despite their teasing, Bucky realised that Natasha and Sam were right. So he spent a week deliberating over a course of action, and in the end decided on a mixtape. Everyone loves mixtapes, and he knows Steve loves music. It was the perfect plan. 

He spent another two weeks on making it. He worried about the order, about what the music said about him. And of course, whether Steve will listen to it, let alone like the damn thing. 

In the end, when he was sufficiently satisfied he published it to 8tracks and emailed a link to Natasha, who’d promised to pass it on. 

The next morning the playlist had over a hundred listens, but no reply from Steve. To be fair, he hadn’t actually put Steve’s name on it, so he probably deserved all of the curious looks he got. 

***

A week later he finally got an answer via Natasha. 

“Skye told Jemma who told Bobbi who told Clint who told me,” she said, “that he liked the playlist.”

“Bobbi told Clint?” he asked, “Why?”

“They're going out,” she explained.

“Isn't this like, a break of trust or something?” he asked.

“No,” she said, “she wouldn’t have told him if she didn't want you to know. Bobbi doesn't gossip, she's sending you a message.”

“But why?” he asked again. 

“Because Steve likes you, you dumb jock,” she said.

He gave her a mock hurt look. She only called him that when he was being extra obtuse. Then the rest of her sentence caught up to him. “He likes me?” 

She grinned. “Ask him to prom.”

***

He waited until Steve was alone, and the halls are nearly abandoned when he asks. He doesn't lean on the lockers this time, doesn't use any of his smiles, he just tries to be honest. 

“So I heard you liked the playlist I made,” he started. 

Steve shrugged, not even turning to face him. “It was alright.”

“I made it for you,” he said. 

Steve did turn to him then. “Why?” 

“Will you go to prom with me?” he blurted.

Steve frowned at him for a long time. Bucky felt like he was going to die. When Steve finally spoke Bucky wished he hadn’t. “No,” he said, “I know how this goes, and you’re not going to drag me into your little game.”

“It’s not-”

“Bye,” Steve said, slammed his locker closed and walked away.

***

Whispers followed Bucky everywhere. 

“Did you hear? He’s not taking anyone to prom.”

“Really? But it’s Bucky Barnes.”

“They say he asked one person and she said no.”

“What? Who says no to Bucky Barnes?”

It was horrible. It was like they thought he couldn’t hear them, like he was in some sort of bubble. And why do they have to say his full name? Next thing you know they’re going to go around calling him James Buchanen Barnes.

“Mister Barnes? Mister Barnes! Are you with us?” He looked up to see his teacher hovering over him, looking angry. He _had_ been listening, if only with half an ear, while he thought about his next move. 

“Yes, Ms. Hill,” he said, sitting up a little straighter. 

“And? What are your opinions?”

He wracked his mind to the last thing he heard. What were they studying? “I think Icarus thought it was worth it,” he said finally, “he might have died but for a brief moment he got to fly, he got what he wanted.”

“That’s an interesting idea Mister Barnes,” she said, “you should explore this in your analysis that is due next week.”

The class groaned in unison. “One thousand words on my desk, Monday morning.”

The bell rang and Bucky sighed, packing his stuff as quickly as possible and walked out. He felt Ms. Hill’s eyes on his back all the way to the door. 

***

Bucky almost doesn't go to prom. In the end Natasha and Sam show up to his house and pretty much dragged him out. He gave in mostly because he needs to at least look presentable. 

Their entrance warranted a couple of glances but, thankfully people were too busy to gossip about him. 

He wasn’t sure how Natasha managed to lure him out of the hall and into the room but when he saw Steve there, he turned only to see the door slam shut. 

He ran to it and tried to pull it open. “Shit,” he said, and started to bang on the door, “Natasha this isn’t funny!” he yelled, “Open up!” 

He paused, waited for her to open the door and maybe see Natasha laughing at him but nothing happened. “Natasha!” 

“Don’t bother,” Steve said, “I’ve been here for an hour.”

He looked around and realised they were in the drama classroom. Steve was sitting on the edge of the stage, the low curtains hanging above him. He took a deep breath and the smell of dust and sawdust filled his nostrils. 

He sighed and sat down next to Steve. 

“What do you _want_?” Steve asked, “haven’t you done enough damage?”

“I just want a truce,” Bucky replied, “this is my fault, I should’ve left you alone when you told me to-”

"You're damn right you should,” Steve said, annoyed, “why are you even trying so hard?”

“Because of you, because,” Bucky waved his hands in the air vaguely, “everyone else fades in comparison, I could listen to you talk about history all day, your art belongs in galleries not in high school hallways, I want to chase the drawings on your skin, every time there’s a new one, I want to commit those to memory, I want you to draw on me, I want-”

“You’re pretty self-centered you know that?” Steve said, interrupting him mid-sentence, but there was a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

Bucky only realized how close they were when Steve turned to face him. “You really think all of that stuff?”

“I really do,” he replied, glancing at Steve’s lips then quickly away. They were quiet for a few more minutes then Bucky spoke again, unable to stop himself. “Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m going to kiss you now, and you can stop me anytime but I figure I’ve tried everything else, I’ve lost anyway and I’ll never forgive myself if-”

Steve closed the gap between them, pressing his lips to Bucky’s, kissing him fiercely. When he pulled away Bucky stayed frozen in place. 

“You talk too much,” Steve said, “sometimes you just gotta do.”

Bucky let out a disbelieving huff. “Maybe let’s try that again, where I’m not so in shock.”

Steve shrugged and went in for another kiss, and this time Bucky kissed back, sliding a hand up Steve’s cheek, tangling his fingers in Steve’s hair. Steve moaned obscenely into his mouth. Bucky was just getting really into it, enjoying the feel when the door burst open. 

“Did you guys do it yet?”

They jumped apart, Steve’s hand going to his mouth. “Clint you asshole!” Bucky yelled.

“Don't you knock?” Steve said, looking just as frustrated.

Clint grinned at them, unapologetic, then turned with a flourish and closed the door as he left again, yelling for Bobbi on his way out. 

Bucky covered his face with his hands.

“What’s wrong?” Steve asked. 

“I’m going to kill Natasha,” he said, “this is all her fault.” 

When Steve didn’t reply he looked up to see Steve looking at him with an eyebrow raised. “Natasha who is ace aro, wants nothing to do with relationships Natasha,” he said, “that Natasha?”

“She’s really soft,” Bucky said, “deep down.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Bucky couldn't help his smile. “Does that mean you’re going to be hanging around.”

Steve looked away, but Bucky could see his ears turning red. “Whatever,” he said, shrugging, “let’s get out of here,” he got up, and moved towards the door, “I think the punch has been spiked, and maybe we could get those milkshakes you mentioned tomorrow.”

Bucky followed Steve out. He couldn't help the smug grin when they walked back into the hall together. 

Everyone was going to talk, but he doesn't care. He felt like he was flying.


End file.
